Automatic counterbalancing system for inclined railways.



772,733) PATENTBD 001?. 18, 1904.

' E. 0. MORGAN.

AUTOMATIC GOUNTBRBALANGING SYSTEM FOR INGLINED RAILWAYS.

, APPLIQATION FILED APR- 27, 1904.

J50 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

PATENTED OCT. 18,1904.

- E. O-.. MORGAN.

AUTOMATIC GOUNTERBALANGING SYSTEM: FOR INGLINED RAILWAYS.

- APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1904.

' z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT Quince.

AUTOMATIC COUNTERBALANGING SYSTEM 'FOR INCLINED RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,733, dated October18, 1904. Application filed April 27, 1904. Serial No. 205,252. (Nomodel.)

To in whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND O. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States,residingat (lhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Counterbalancing System for InclinedRailways, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates .to automatic counterbalancing system forinclined railways.

The object of the invention is to provide a counterbalancing system forinclined railways which is simple and eflicient.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a counterbalancing systemforinclined railways wherein the locomotive is required to perform asmuch work in descending the incline asin ascending the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby connectionbetween the locomotive or train and the counterbalance is made andreleased automatically.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists, substantially, in the construction, combination,location, and arrangement of parts. all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in theaccompanying drawings, and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and to the various views andreference-signs appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a view in side elevationof a counterb'alanoing system for inclined railways embodying theprinciples of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. of alocomotive or car, showing a 'means whereby the counterweight isautomatically connected and disconnected thereto. Fig. 4 is a top planview of the construction shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view in transversesection on-the line 5 5, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The same; part is designated by the same reference-sign wherever itoccurs throughout the several views.

In the operation of railroad systems, and particularly railroad systemsemployed in mine haulage, it is frequently necessary for Fig. 3 is aview in side elevation tons.

the locomotive and a'train ofcarsdrawn or propelled thereby to ascendand descend inclines or grades. In case the locomotive and the trainhauled thereby is required to ascend a grade or an inclined portion ofthe road, especially where the cars of the train are loaded, thelocomotive is required to develop an excessive amount of power in orderto effect the ascent, and frequently the locomotiveis taxed beyondits'capacity. when hauling heavy loads, thereby creating trouble andannoyance and resulting in a failure to effect the ascent. Similarly indescending the grade or incline with or without a load the locomotive isnot called upon to perform any work and the brake appliances arefrequently insufficient to check the rate of descent, thereby renderingthe operation of the road da'ngerous. In carrying out the principles ofmy invention I propose to employ means for counterweighting orcounterbalancing the locom o tive and train of cars hauled thereby when"ascending and descending grades or inclines in the roadway in suchmanner that the motor or locomotive is required to develop pracf ticallyas much power in descending as in ascending, thereby relieving thelocomotive or motor of the exces'sivestrains imposed thereon in haulinga loaded train up the grade and the danger of the locomotive or trainrunning away when descending the grade or in cline. In theaccomplishment of this'resu'lt I propose to employ acounterwcight orcounterbalance so relatively proportioned with reference to'the weightof the locomotive, the cars of the train, and the load carried therebyas to equal the weight of the locomotive and cars and a portion of theload carried by the cars. For instance, suppose the weight of thelocomotive is ten tons and of the train of cars hauled thereby whenempty to beten tons and the load on the cars to be, say, twenty Thiswill make the total weight being hauled up an inclined section orportion'of the road equal to forty tons. I therefore propose to employacounterweight of, say,'thirty tons, thereby counterbalancing the weightof the locomotive and cars and half that of the load, and I arrange thecounterbalance to be raised while the locomotive and train descends theincline and the counterweight to be lowered when the locomotive andtrain ascends the incline. It is usual, especially in the arrangement ofrailway systems in mines, to provide inclines or grades in the roadwayconnecting level portions of the track where the loaded cars arerequired to ascend the grade or incline and the empty cars to descend.Therefore it will be seen that in accordance with the principles of myinvention in ascending the grade or incline the locomotive is calledupon to develop only suffi- .cient power to raise ten tons weight ofdifference between the weight of the locomotive, cars, and loadsayaggregating forty tons and that of the counterweightsay thirty tons. Itwill also be seen that in descending the grade with a train of emptycars the locomotiveis called upon to develop practically the same amountof power-namely, that required to raise the counterweight, or tentonsbeing the difference (in the instance given) between the weight ofthe counterweight (thirty tons) and of the combined Weight of thelocomotive and train of empty cars, (twenty tons.) Therefore thelocomotive is called upon to develop substantially the same amount ofpower in descending as in ascending, being relieved of the necessity ofdeveloping excessive power in ascending and enabling the brakeappliances to be more effective in preventing the locomotive and trainof empty cars running away while descending. In the illustration given 1have neglected the element of friction, which is a matter subject toadjustment according to various conditions of load.

Referring to the drawings, especially Figs. 1 and 2,wherein isillustrated a section of roadway, including a grade or inclined portion,and wherein is shown an application of a construction and arrangementembodying the principles of my invention, reference-sign A designates alevel section of the track at one end of a grade or inclined section B,and (l a level portion or section at the other end of the grade orincline, it being of course understood that, the counterbalancing systemembodying my invention is applied only at the grade. D designates thelocomotive, and E cars of a train hauled thereby. F designates thecounterweight, which may be of any suitable or convenient construction,the special character of which is not of consequence, and G designates acable or other connection arranged to be connected at one end to thelocomotive or car and operating over suitable guide-sheaves H andconnected at its opposite end to the counterweight F. As merelyillustrative of an operative embodiment of my invention, I employ as acounterweight a loaded car F, which affords a convenient constructionand arrangement of con nterweight, especially in the case ofmine-haulage systems. It is obvious that the counterweight may bearranged to move in any desired manner. In the particular form shown, towhich, however, my invention is not to be limited or restricted, I haveshown the loaded car serving as a counterweight arranged to operate onan inclined track (indicated at J, Fig. 2) located adjacent to the maintraclv or road-bed; but this, as above indicated, is merely anillustrative embodiment of the principles of my invention and to which Ido not desire to be limited or restricted.

In the operation of a counterweighting or counterbalancing system suchas above described it is desirable to provide means whereby theconnection between the counterweightcable and the locomotive. car, ortrain may be effected automatically and wherein disengagement betweenthe counterweight-eable and the locomotive, car, or train may also beeffected automatically. For instance, in case the locomotive or traindescends the grade under the retarding influence oi the counterweightimposed by the raising of the latter when the locomotive or trainreaches the lower extremity of the grade or inclined section of the roadand is ready to proceed along the adjacent level portion of the road-bedit is desirable to provide means wherelrv the cable which connects thecounterweight to the locomotive or train may be automatic: lly detachedfrom the locomotive or train to permit the same to proceed on itsjourney, and at the same time it is desirable to provide means wherebythe counterweight-cal)le is retained or held at such limit of itsaction, so as to prevent the counterweight from running wild to itslowermost position when released and so as to leave the cable connectionin position at the lower limit of its action to be again picked up bythe locomotive or train when it returns and is rady to ascend the gradeor incline with itsload. In Figs. 3, at, and 5 l have shown asillustrative of an operative embodiment of means a construction wherebythese desirable objects are accomplished and wherein the cable Gr isprovided with a cross pin or bar l\' at the end thereof, the ends ofwhich are arranged to be received transversely across the end of a blockor lever L, suitably hinged or pivoted upon the car or locomotive l).The block or lever L is yieldingly maintained in elevated or raisedposition, as shown in Fig. 3, in any convenient manner as, for instance,by means of a spring, (indicated in dotted lines at N.) \Vhen the cableis attached to the car or locomotive through the block or lever L thatis, when the ends of the crossbar K of the cable bear against or arereceived in the seats formed to receive the same in the block or leverIJ alILl the strain of the counterweight F is imposed upon the cable"as, for instance, when the locomotive is descending the grade orincline the pull exerted upon the cable (jr, tending to hoist thecounterweight, is transmitted to the block or lever L in a line abovethe axis about which said block or lever is hinged or pivoted, therebyaifording an additional locking means for imparted to such rod effects arocking or swinging movement of the block or lever L. The shaft or rodI? is provided at a convenient-point-say, for instance, onthe outer endthereofwith a crank-arm 0, said crank-arm having a lateral projection Q,extending therefrom and arranged to be engaged by a coop- 1 tive.

crating lateral projection R, formed on the free end of a lever S,suitably hinged or pivoted upon a bracket or in any other convenientmanner fixed adjacent to the road-bed upon which the truck, car, orlocomotive option C of the system at the foot of such grade or incline.

By yieldingly supporting the engaging lever. S in'raised position itwill be readily seen that the locomotive may progress in a direction toproceed up'the grade, riding over lever S; but in descending the gradewhen the truck, car, or locomotive to which the cable G is attached orconnected reaches the upwardly-projecting lever S the lateral shoulderor projection R thereon will en, gage over the cooperating lateralprojection Q of crank 0, thereby rocking or swinging block or lever Kdownwardly against the action of its retractile N, and soas to carry thestrain or pull exerted by the cable upon the block or lever L belowvthepivotal axis of said block or lever L, and hence into position for thepull exerted upon the cable to cause or effect a disengagement of thecable with the truck, car, or locomotive. As soon as this disengagementoccurs the projection R of lever S rides past the projection Q of blockor lever L,

thereby permitting said block or lever L to be returned to its raisedposition through the action of its retractile N. In this manner theconnection of cable G to the car, truck, or locomotive is automaticallydisengaged and'at Hui-point where such disengagement is desirab e. 7

After the counterweight cable or connection has been disconnected fromthe car it is desirable to provide means arranged to engage or to beengaged by the cable to hold the same whereby the elevated counterweightis prevented from running wild from the raised po sition occupiedthereby at the time such disconnection of the cable from the car orlocomotive is effected. To accomplish this result, I arrange at aconvenient point in the road-bed or adjacent thereto a pivoted lever orblock B, having a seat or seats (indicated at C, Fig. 3) to receive thecross-bar K of the counterweight-cable G and similar in this respect tothe seats formed in the lever or block L, and i I so relatively arrangethe block or lever B with reference to lever S and block or lever L thatwhen the car or locomotive arrives into position for the lever S toeffect a downward rocking movement of block or lever L to disengage thecable from the car orlocomotive the cable cross-bar K will be broughtinto position to slip from itsseat in the lever or block L into the seatC in lever or block B. Preferably the lever or block B is yieldinglyheld or maintained in lowered position-as, for instance, by means of aspring D, (see Fig. 3)' and when the cable connection is transferredfrom the car or locomotive or from the block or lever L mounted thereonto the block or lever B fixed in the road-bed the pull or strain exertedby the counterweight upon the cable will be exerted upon lever or blockB in a line below the. horizontal plane containing the axis about whichthe lever or block L rocks-thereby affording an efficient means forholding and anchoring the cable end. It will be seen that when the blockor lever L is sufficiently rocked, through the agency of lever Sengaging crank-arm O sufliciently for the line of pull exerted, by thecable to pass below the horizontal plane containing the axis about whichblock or lever L rocks or swings the.

cross arm-or bar K willsnap off or out of engagement with the lever orblockL, and hence the instant this occurs the lever or block B shouldoccupy such relative position withrespect thereto as that the cross armor bar K connected from the car, truck, or locomotive after completingthe descent of a grade or incline, as'above explained, it proceeds alongthe level portion of the track (indicated at C, Fig; 1) to the desiredpoint where the cars of the train receive their loadas, for instance, ofcoal-and returns to or approaches the grade or inclined section of theroad. The locomotive, car, or truck automaticallypicks up the cableendheld or anchored, as above described, by theblock or lever B'andreplaces the same into engaging relation with respect to the block orlever L onthe car, truck, or locomotive. In order to accomplish thisresult, I provide the car, truck, or locomotive With a pivoted lever Eand having a lateral projection F arranged to cooperate With a similarprojection G, formed on or projecting from block or lever B. Preferablythe lever E is yieldingly pressed toward the limit of its downwardmovement. This may be accomplished in any convenientmanneras, forinstance, by means of a spring H (see Fig. 3)--whereby the projection FWill ride idly over projection Gr when the truck, car, or locomotivemoves in one direction say, for instance, down the incline or grade; butwhen the car, truck, or locomotive travels in the opposite direction orapproaches the incline or grade the projection F on lever E will engageunderneath the projection G on block or lever B, and thereby rock thelatter about its hinged or pivotal axis until eventually the line ofpull exerted upon said block or lever B by the counterweight actingthrough the cable is carried above the horizontal plane containing theaxis of lever or block B, such rocking movement of lever or block Bbeing against the action of spring D, and hence enabling the cross armor bar K to snap out of the seat 0 and to be disengaged therefrom. Vhenthis point is reached. the block or lever L'is brought into position toreceive the cross arm or bar K of the cable, and hence the strain of thecounterweight acting through the cable is transferred from thestationary anchoring device in the road-bed to the block or lever L onthe car, truck, or locomotive, thereby effecting automatically a pickingup of the end of the counterweight-cable without arresting thelocomotive or the train hauled thereby. It is obvious that any suitablearrangement of limit-stops for the various levers and locking partsabove described may be provided where necessary or desirable. Forinstance, the bracketor casting in which lever S is pivoted may be soformed as to constitute a limit-stop to prevent said lever from beingrocked too high, and similarly the bracket on which lever E on the caror truck is pivoted may afford suitable means for limiting the extent ofrocking or swinging movement of said lever.

The car, truck, or locomotive may be of any suitable type orconstruction. \Vhere an electric locomotive is employed, current may besupplied to the locomotive in any convenient manneras, for instance,through a trolley or other contact J making contact with asuitably-arranged conduct-or K.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide anexceedingly simple arrangement of counterweighting or counterbalancingsystem and wherein the engagement of the car, truck, or locomotive to becounterbalanced with the counterbalance-cable may be effectedautomatically and where- .in disengagement thereof may be effectedautomatically. hen the car, train. or locomotive reaches the levelsection A of the track or roadway at the top of the incline or grade,the connection with the counterweight-callle may be disengaged andautomatically in any convenient manner, and similarly such cable may beautomatically picked up as the locomotive, car, or train approaches theupper end of the incline preparatory to descending it in the same mannerand by a similar arrangement to that above described with refercnce tothe automatic disengagement and picking up of the cable at the bottom ofthe incline, or, if desired, the connection between the car. train, orlocomotive and the cable may be disconnected as the car, train, orlocomotive reaches the top of the grade or incline in ascending byprovidinga suitable stop to arrest the counterweight at the lower limitof its movement, thereby rendering the cable slack, and consequentlyenabling it to disengage itself. It will also be seen that .l providemeans for efiicientl y counterbalancing a locomotive and its train,whether loaded or unloaded, when ascending or descending grades orinclines, automatically connecting and disconnecting thecounterweighting or counterbalancing devices as the train proceeds alongthe road-bed, thereby boosting or ass' ting the locomotive to hoist itslead up the grade or incline and disconnecting the aiding or boostingmeans when the train reaches the level section of track along which itprogresses.

It is obvious that many variations and changes in the size, proportion,and relative arrangement of parts would readily suggest themselves topersons skilled in the art and still fall within the spirit and scope ofmy invention. 1 do not desire, therefore, to be limited or restricted tothe exact details of construction and arrangement shown in the drawingsand set forth in the foregoing description; but,

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and aconstruction embodying the principles thereof, what .1 claim as new anduseful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a counterbalancing system for railway-trains, the combination witha locomotive and its train of cars, of a counterweight, saidcounterweight proportioned to counterbalance the weight of thelocomotive and cars and a portion of the load, and connections betweenthe countemrcight and the train, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a counterbalancing system for railway-trains operating overroadways having grades or inclined portions, the combination with thetrain, of a counterweight arranged at the grade or incline in theroadway, said counterweight arranged to counterbalance the weight of thetrain and a portion of its load, and connections between the train andcounterweight whereby the locomotive of the train is required toperformthe same amount 3. The combination with a roadway having level sectionsand an intermediate inclined .section, and a counterweight arranged atthe inclined section, a cable connected at one end to saidcounterweight, guide pulleys over which said cable operates, alocomotive, means for connecting the other end of said cable to saidlocomotive, and means for automatically for'the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination with a roadway having level portions and anintermediate inclined portion, and a counterweight arranged at theinclined portion, a cable connected to said counterweight, a locomotive,guide-pulleys intermediate the locomotive and the counterweight overwhich said cable operates, and means for automatically connecting theopposite end of said cable to the locomotive, as and for'the purpose setforth.

5. The combination with a roadway having level portions and anintermediate grade or inclined portion, of a'car,'train or locomotive, acounterweight therefor, a cable connecting the counterweight and thecar, train or locomotive, an engaging connection for the cable carriedby the car, train or locomotive, and

an engaging connection for the cable fixed in.

the roadway, and means for automatically shifting the cable from one ofsaid connections to the other, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with a roadway having an inclined section, a car,train or locomotive, I

a counterweight therefor, a cable extending from the counterweight tothe car, train or locomotive, engaging connections pivotally mountedupon the car, train or locomotive,

- and in the roadway, respectively, and means for automatically rockingsaid connections to.

transfer the cable from one to the other, as and for the purpose setforth. 4

7. The combination with a roadway having an inclined section, a car,train or locomotive, a counterweight therefor, a cable extending fromthe counterweight to the car, train or locomotive, a cable connectioncarried bythe car, train or locomotive, a cable connection mounted inthe roadway, and means for transferring the cable from one of saidconnections to the .other, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination with a roadway having an inclined section, a car,tram or locomotive,

a counterweight therefor, a cable extending from the counterweight tothe car, train or locomotive, a cable connection carried by the car,train or locomotive, a cable connection mounted in the roadway, andmeans for transferring the cable from one of said connections to theother without arresting the movement of the car, train or locomotivealong the roadway, as and for the purposeset forth.

9. The combination with a roadway having an inclined section, of a car,train or locomo- I tive, acounterweight therefor, a cable extend ingfrom the counterweight to the car,.t'rain or locomotive, a cableconnection carried by thecar, train or locomotive, and comprising apivoted block or lever, and a lever pivotally. mounted in the roadwayand operating to rock said block or lever on the car, train orlocomotive to eifect a disengagement of the cable therewith, as and forthe purpose set forth. dlsconneeting said connecting means, as and 7 10.Thecombination witharoadwayhaving an lnclmed section, of a car, trainorlocomotlve, a counterweight therefor, a cable connected to thecounterweight, a connection movably mounted in the roadway with whichthe cable engages, and means carried by the car, train or locomotive,arranged to shift said movable connection to disengage the cabletherefrom, as and for the purpose set forth.

11. A roadway having an inclined section,

a car, train or locomotive, a counterweight therefor, a cable connectedto the counterweight, a cable connection mounted in the roadway withwhich said cable engages, a cable connection carried by the car, trainor locomotive, and means also carried by the car, train or locomotivefor disengaging the cable from the roadway connection and transferringthe'same to the connection on the car, train or locomotive, as and forthe purpose set forth. 1 2. A roadway having an inclined section, a car,train or locomotive, a'counterweight therefor, a cable connected tothe'counterweight, a block or lever pivotally mounted upon the car,train or locomotive, a cooperating block or lever pivotally mounted inthe roadway, said blocks or levers constituting engaging means for thecable, a lever carried bythe car, train or locomotive and cooperatingwith the pivoted blockor lever 1n the road way, and a lever mounted 1nthe roadway and cooperating with the pivoted block orlever on the car,train or locomotive,whereby the cable connection may be transferredautomatically from one of said blocks or levers to the other, as and forthe purpose set forth.

13. A roadway having an inclined section, a car, train or locomotive, acounterweight therefor, a cable connected to said counterweight,guide-pulleys for said cable, a pivotally-mounted block or lever mountedupon the car, train or locomotive, arranged to form an engagingconnection for said cable, a block or lever pivotally mounted in theroadway, also arranged to form a connection for said cable,operatingslevers pivotally mounted,

respectively, upon the car, train or locomocave, and in the roadway, andextending in opposlte directions, and cooperatlng, respectively, withsaid cable connections, whereby the cable is transferred automaticallyfrom one of said blocks or levers to the other according to thedirection of travel of the car, train or locomotive, as and for thepurpose set forth.

14:. A roadway having an inclined section, a car, train or locomotiveoperating thereover, a counterweight therefor, a cable connected to saidcounterweight, a movable part mounted upon the car, train or locomotive,to aii'ord means for connecting the cable thereto, a co operatingmovable part mounted in the roadway and arranged to form a connectionfor the cable, said movable parts each provided With a lateralprojection, levers pivotally mounted upon the car, train or locomotive,

and in the roadway, respectively, and provided with cooperating lateralprojections cooperating with the lateral projections upon said movablemembers to rock the latter to transfer the cable from one to the otherof said movable members, according to the direction of progress of thecar, train or locomotive, as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 11th day of April,1904, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND G. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

C. H. Snmi, S. E. DARBY.

